A Lot More Than Mosquitos to Worry About
by Trivette Lover Heather
Summary: As usual a harmless favor for Magnum, turns into an adventure....Previous story, revamped for your enjoyment. Co-Writer JRR06
1. Chapter 1

"Please, TC, I promise - I'll take you to lunch, or dinner, anyplace. You pick."

"I pick, huh? You must want something BIG this time!" TC shook his head, dropping his wrench into his toolbox and slamming the lid shut with his foot. He closed the bright orange engine cover and latched it, while Magnum continued to hover, hands on his hips.

"Just one little ride - zip, zip, we'll be back before you know it."

"Uh-uh, boy, I got some PAYING CLIENTS who're gonna be here in about twenty minutes... And you are NOT gonna scare them away."

'We'll see about that,' Magnum thought, but he kept up his pleading, innocent look. "It's just Maui!"

"Just Maui, yeah, and about fifty bucks gas money. Besides, I just got the tank filled and this chopper is in primo condition, because these customers are paying BIG for their three hour tour."

"A three hour tour?" Magnum echoed, grinning ear to ear.

"A three hour, three hundred dollar tour," TC elaborated. He stowed his toolbox under the pilot's seat in the chopper.

"TC, please! I bet we could be back in twenty minutes."

TC rolled his eyes. "TM, did you know that your bets and promises - and bribes - get stupider every time?"

"Well, maybe you'd be a LITTLE late," Magnum conceded, "But at least you'd be helping a friend."

"I'd rather earn $300 than help you out for free - again."

Magnum hung his head, trying to look pitiful and needy. TC just laughed as he climbed into the pilot's chair. "Bye bye, Thomas," He said, grinning at Magnum as he started up the rotors. Magnum scurried away from the whirling blades, stooping to avoid getting an unhealthily short haircut.

TC lifted off, waving to Magnum, who yelled up at him, "How am I supposed to get to Maui?!"  
TC didn't reply, instead, he soared off towards the far side of the island, where his tourist clients were waiting - 300 dollars got you lots of extras, especially from TC, who was far too used to doing everything seemingly for nothing.

Magnum watched until the Island Hoppers helicopter was just a barely visible dot against the distant grey clouds, which were the only imperfection visible in an otherwise brilliantly blue sky. Magnum sighed. Paradise was a wonderful place to be - except when you had to get from one island to the next, and you didn't have a ride.

----

TC almost felt like whistling. He had finally done it, had finally held up under Magnum's begging and pleading. He had finally said "no" and meant it, and boy, did it feel good. His eyes played over the breathtaking scene out the Plexiglas windshield. It was three in the afternoon, the sun was casting shadows, but there wasn't a hint of sunset visible yet. If they stuck to schedule, his 300-hundred-dollar clients would see their fair share of beachside resorts, palm trees, vegetation-covered cliffs, crashing surf, and uninhabited islets and they'd touch back down on Oahu just as the sun started going down. 

----- 

Magnum sighed as Rick sat doing some sort of paperwork.

Rick wagged his pen at Magnum. "No."

"No? Why not? C'mon, I just need to get over to Maui!"

"Go rent your own yacht. The King Kamehameha II is reserved for members only."

"So? I'm a guest of a member - right?"

"Whose? Not mine," Rick said. He ignored Magnum, who was just leaning against the counter.

Magnum hadn't even ordered a beer to be put on his legendary tab; he was trying hard to get on Rick's good side. He needed a ride to Maui, and lacking TC and his chopper, had decided that maybe Rick was up for a spin in the club's boat.

No such luck.

He watched Rick scribble with the pen for a few seconds, then signaled a waitress, who came over. "I think I will have a drink - nothing fancy, just some ice water with some ice cubes, please," he said to the young lady, who departed and returned with the drink in what Magnum figured was less than a minute. Magnum sat on the barstool next to Rick's, and set his glass down.

"Can you put the charter on my tab?" He asked. It was a ridiculous question, and Rick treated it as such by laughing.

Rick shook his head. "You just don't take 'no' for an answer, do you? Maybe when I'm finished with these invoices. MAYBE," He repeated, just so that Magnum understood.

Magnum nodded. "Absolutely. Whenever you're ready to go."

Ever so casually, Magnum raised the glass of ice water and took a sip, then, as he set it down, "accidentally" knocked it over. The glass tipped toward Rick and his papers, sending a sudden wave of ice water across the countertop, catching the invoices before Rick could snatch them up from the bar.

Rick jumped up before the liquid ran off the counter and onto his lap, whirling on Magnum in fury.

"What's the hell's the matter with you?" He demanded, waving frantically for the nearest waiter to bring napkins.

Magnum put on an impish look. "Gee, Rick, I'm sorry - it was an accident."

Rick glared.

"I'm sorry your papers are all wet... I guess you won't be able to work on them for awhile."  
With an angry shake of his head, Rick slammed some decorative fabric napkins - delivered by the helpful waiter - down on the puddle of icewater, shoving aside Magnum's arm as he tried to mop up the mess without tearing the soaked paperwork.

Magnum swung himself off of his own barstool. "It's gonna be hours before those dry. How about a little spin in the yacht? That'll settle you down."

"No, what would settle me down is you leaving."

"But I have nowhere to go. Except Maui."

"I'll make a deal with you - I bring you over to Maui, and you don't show your face in this club for the rest of the week."

"Can I use the beach?"

"No. No dining room, no bar, no beach. Stay outta my way until I get caught up on all of my paperwork."

"Deal." I'll bother Higgins and TC instead.

"Deal?" Rick didn't sound like he believed it.

"Yes, it's a deal," Magnum said. He shook Rick's hand to make it more official. "No bar, no beach, no dining room."

"Okay. Let me go sign the boat out."

"Thanks, Rick, this means a lot to me."

"Don't get used to it."

Magnum shrugged as Rick headed to the office to sign the King Kamehameha II out, and went out the door to fetch his gear from the Ferrari.

------

The trip to Maui was pretty much uneventful. It was the arriving part that got interesting - the two guys Magnum had been tailing all over the islands (suspected drug dealers) had decided to send a little welcome committee to the boat dock when Magnum and Rick pulled in. After a few minutes of fistfighting, the deck of the boat was a shambles, and some of the gauges and instruments on the bridge had been smashed.

Rick and Magnum sat in chairs on the back of the boat, Rick looking extremely angry. He had his arms folded, and was trying his best not to speak to Magnum, who was apologizing over and over. Sort of.

"C'mon, Rick, how was I supposed to know that the guy I was tracking had gotten on to me?"

"That's not what I'm mad about and you know it," Rick growled. He listened to the sirens fade as the two thugs were taken downtown in a PD cruiser.

"It's the damages to the boat - I'm sorry. I'll have them fixed, as soon as we get back to Oahu."

"You don't seem to get it. We can't get home with the boat in this condition. They smashed some VERY important navigation features, in case you failed to notice."

"We can't get back?" Magnum asked uneasily. That was news to him. He hadn't seen the gorilla guys put their behemoth fists through more than two or three instrument panels...  
"No, we can't. And now I'm going to catch it from Higgins, big-time."

"I'll take care of Higgins. I'll tell him it's my fault, don't worry about it."

"Don't do me any favors, please."

"Maybe TC can pick us up?" Magnum wondered, mostly thinking aloud.

"I thought you said he had a tour group till six," Rick reminded Magnum.

The response was a shrug. "Well, till then... buy you dinner?"

"Can I pick the place?"

"Sure..."

Rick grinned. He now had Magnum's wallet at his mercy, and he intended to make full use of it.

------

"Man, I can't believe you let Magnum sucker you into taking him over to Maui," TC exclaimed, as Rick climbed into the back of his chopper.

He had taken pity on Rick, who always did whatever Magnum wanted, and had come to pick them up.

Magnum climbed into the front passenger seat, and slipped on the headphones. "Thanks for picking us up, TC," He said.

"I should have had him tossed out of the club," Rick spoke up, his voice coming through the microphone that linked their headsets.

"Remember that for next time," TC told him, as the engine roared to life.

Magnum sat back in the seat and surveyed the sky around them. The sun was indeed setting, in fact, it was low and red, just an upper crust of its radiant circumference visible over the storm clouds that still hugged the horizon.

His jaw was aching from where he'd caught a right hook, but he had to admit that he had faired pretty well in today's fight. Despite the fact that Rick was furious with him, and that TC had once again proven that it was much more beneficial to walk away when Magnum came around looking for favors, Magnum felt good about himself. He was sleepy, too, and was beginning to drift off...

-----

Magnum's head was pounding as he opened his eyes. He blinked, trying to focus, raising a hand to wipe away the blood that had run into his eyes.

He stared at the hand for a moment, the dark red splash on his hand. He didn't remember getting hurt... Magnum rolled his head to the right, and found himself staring at foliage and a mangled orange doorframe. This gave him a point of reference, and a sense of urgency, as his mind started putting the last hour or so back in sequence. He looked to his left, seeing the empty pilot's seat of TC's chopper. The pilot's side looked pretty much okay, Magnum's side having taken most of the damage when they had hit the trees. Where was TC? Where would he go? Magnum didn't think TC would just leave him.

Although his memory was very sketchy, he recalled almost falling asleep as TC few them back to Oahu, sitting next to TC in the front, while Rick was in the back. And then... he didn't recall much else besides a sort of muffled explosion, and the engine going out... the rest was a painful blur; a frightened shout from Rick, and a few curses - at least - from TC, and the ground approaching sickeningly fast.

Magnum pushed himself into a more vertical position. The seat he was strapped to had come loose from it's mount, and was tilted back and against the doorframe, so that if Magnum let go and folded his body, he'd fall almost straight down, out the door.

"TC?" He called.

There was some rustling in the bushes. "Thomas, you're awake. It's about time."

"Yeah... Give me a second to get out of here."

"Okay... are you all right?"

Magnum contemplated a moment, then answer, "Yeah, I'm just fine." 

TC's face appeared in the driver's side door. "C'mon out, I need some help with Rick."  
Magnum quickly found his seatbelt clip and unfastened it, hanging onto the dented doorframe so as not to fall unceremoniously out of the helicopter, and swung his legs to the ground below. It was an easy task given his height, but his leg hurt like hell, and he could see some blood leaking through a rip in the material of his jeans. He grimaced and let go of the chopper's mangled form. Magnum's legs gave out and he collapsed to the moss covered ground. He pushed himself up on an elbow. The bloody leg seemed all right, probably just a cut, but now Magnum was dizzy. A concussion, maybe... but right now he had more important things to worry about. TC, at seeing him fall, rushed over to help haul him to his feet, letting Magnum grab his arm for support.

Magnum turned to view the back seat of the helicopter. The passenger side was crumpled against a tree, which was probably what had finally stopped their descent and momentum. The tree was almost squarely over the back passenger doorframe, a sight that made Magnum grimace. He felt sick to his stomach, wondering what kind of shape Rick might be in.  
Magnum half dragged, half limped himself around the chopper with TC, and peeked into the back seat, almost afraid to look.

In the dim interior, Rick was still belted in, blood running down his head and staining the collar of his shirt. Magnum could make out that his chest was moving up and down, which meant he was alive and breathing.

"Rick," Magnum said loudly, hoping to wake him up. Rick had seemingly gotten the worst of the crash. It was a miracle he was still alive, if what the outside of the chopper looked like was any indication. Jesus.

"I think he's okay, just pretty bruised and banged up," TC said quietly.

TM looked at him doubtfully. "I'll check it out."

TC stepped back, and watched as Magnum crawled into the interior. The single roof light was flickering badly, but it cast some illumination. As he settled onto the seat, his weight caused the hopelessly damaged aircraft to shift, and it evened out, tilting away from the tree, slamming down on both runners.

Outside, TC jumped back from the falling aircraft, then leaned in next to Magnum. "Will you be careful?"

Rick's body shifted with it like dead weight, his head falling to the side.   
Magnum moved closer, his hands working almost numbly to undo the seatbelt clasp, slipping the straps gently from his friend's shoulders.

"Rick, c'mon, wake up." It was spoken like an order, but anybody who knew Magnum could hear the clear plea.

Thomas debated about not moving Rick until he was more sure of his injuries, but finally decided to go for it when TC tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the smoke curling out from what remained of the engine section. Magnum didn't know how much fuel was left, but smoke usually meant fire, and gasoline had the tendency to catch fire, if not go boom.


	2. Chapter 2

Rick's eyes opened as Magnum hauled him out of the helicopter. Magnum laid him on the ground, trying not to aggravate any injuries he may have received, and leaned over him. TC crouched next to Magnum.

"Hey, Rick. You okay?"

"I think..." Rick started, but gasped as he tried to sit up.

"Where does it hurt?" Magnum asked, checking his friend for wounds. Rick didn't reply, but Magnum had little trouble finding the injury for himself. The left sleeve of Rick's shirt was soaked with blood, the wrist and hand limp. Magnum gritted his teeth. "Don't move," He told Rick, whose eyes were shut again. He worked for a bit at the cuff, and finally managed to rip it open, tearing it up to the elbow. 

Just as Magnum had thought, right below the elbow there was a gash in the skin, and pale white splinters of bone were poking through. Magnum shuddered; he couldn't help it.  
TC, too, winced.

"Broken?" Rick asked quietly.

"Yeah, but...It'll be okay..." Magnum replied, trying to keep the horror off of his face. He laid the arm out on the ground, trying hard not to cause Rick a lot of pain, but from the look on Rick's face he wasn't very successful. Magnum made his way back to the front seat of the chopper, feeling for his duffel bag in the dark.

He didn't know what made him pack a spare shirt along with his gear that morning, but it was a good thing that he had. He looked inside for something he could use as a splint for the arm, but there wasn't anything handy. TC joined him, leaving Rick alone a few feet away, and whispered, "Looks pretty bad."

"Yeah, I know. D'you see anything we can use as a temporary splint?"

"No, unless you want to use some scrap metal from the crash."

Magnum didn't particularly want to. "We can wait for awhile, I think. Is there any chance of the radio still working?"

TC rubbed his hands on his jeans. "I'll get to work on it. I'd also like to know why we crashed."

"Me too, TC."  
Leaving TC to work on the radio, Magnum retraced his steps to Rick's side.

As Magnum approached, Rick asked, "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine."

"You've got some glass, or something, near your hairline..."

Magnum reached up and explored the area with his fingertips. He hadn't even realized he himself was still bleeding, but now he could feel the pulse of blood around the chunk of glass in his forehead. "There isn't a whole lot I can do about it, you need the shirt for your arm."

"Use a sleeve or something," Rick argued.

"Why can't we ever just do things my way?" Magnum mused.

Rick just stared at him.

"I"ll take handle it, as soon as we get this arm taken care of. Okay? Get ready for some pain - you might not wanna watch."

Rick turned his head away, biting his lip, determined not to let on to how much it hurt.  
Magnum quickly wrapped the shirt tightly around the elbow and gash. He didn't have anything to brace it with, so he tried to compensate by making the knot firm, but it was difficult with a T-shirt.

Rick only gasped once or twice as Magnum had done his best to reposition and crudely set the displaced, broken bone, but by the end he had almost passed out again.

Magnum sat for a few seconds of silence, listening to Rick's ragged breathing, then seemed to remember the glass imbedded in his hair. He quickly tore some material from the bottom of his own shirt and folded it, then - jaw set, teeth clamped together - dug at least most of the glass from his skin. He slapped the makeshift bandage onto his forehead, holding it tightly. Head wounds bled a lot, Magnum knew, but he was hoping the bleeding didn't last long, because he was still feeling light-headed and dazed from the crash, and they would need all their wits about them to get out of wherever they were and to a nice modern hospital.

Rick was apparently unconscious again, shivering slightly in the cool night breeze. Magnum wished that TC had a blanket or something in his chopper, but no such luck. He really didn't even have a good first-aide kit. Magnum dug in his duffel again and pulled out his .45. Magnum leaned back against one of the helicopter's legs, pistol cradled in his lap, keeping an eye on Rick and their surroundings as he listened to TC's mechanical pounding as he tried "percussive maintenance" on the broken radio.

"TC, how's it going with the radio?" Magnum asked, hoping for some good news.

TC, in the middle of trying to pry open one metal plate on the outside of the radio, paused and shook his head. "I don't know, man, still working on it. Something's loose inside, maybe... How's Rick holding up?"

Magnum frowned. "He's fading, man. We gotta get out of here. Maybe there's a cabin or something around." Magnum would have preferred a hospital, modern and brightly lit, but there was nil chance of that. He took in the woodland surrounding them.

TC scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Around here?"

He got a disapproving look from Magnum. "Be positive, TC!"

"Uh-huh," TC replied, continuing his work on the radio. Magnum tried to keep himself awake. To keep his mind occupied and from drifting off, he concentrated on the problem at hand. He knew that they had to get out of here, but how? Magnum decided to focus on Rick, talking to him.

"Hey, Rick, when we get back, I plan on taking you guys out to a steak dinner. What d'you think about that? Rick?"

Rick picked his head up and looked at him. "Yeah, sure, Thomas. On you, right?"

Magnum smiled. "Yeah, buddy, on me!"

"Hey TM, I think I got it," TC announced. He had managed to partially pry off part of the outside of the radio and had been messing with the wires inside.

"Got what?" Rick asked. He breathed deeply, letting his head rest on the ground again.

"The radio. Listen, Rick, don't talk a lot - save your strength. Got it?"

"Yeah, Thomas, I got it." Rick hid a smile. If his arm didn't hurt so much and he wasn't so utterly miserable, he'd have made fun of Magnum's concern, teasing him by calling him "mommy".

Magnum grinned at him again and got haltingly to his feet, limping over to where TC was sitting in front of the radio.

"What's up?" Magnum asked, leaning against the frame of the downed chopper.

TC shrugged his muscular shoulders. "It's not looking good, TM. I'll keep at it, but..."  
Thomas didn't want TC to finish the sentence. "Just keep working, TC."

------

Back at the Estate, Higgins was feeding the Lads, and at the same time giving the main house one last look-over. The approaching storm was shaping up to be utterly amazing, and Higgins had collected a flashlight just in case the power fluctuated or went out. He had closed the guest house windows for Magnum; Higgins hoped Magnum would appreciate that - and if he didn't, Higgins could always ask for something in return for the favor.

Regarding the whereabouts of Thomas Magnum, Higgins - while his manner would imply that he couldn't possibly care less - was somewhat... apprehensive. He was probably holed up at the Club with Rick and TC, or off with a pretty lady, but one never quite knew what the man was up to.

The kitchen phone rang just then, soliciting a bark from Zeus.

Higgins picked up the receiver on the second ring, thinking it might be Magnum or maybe even one of his shady clients, but he was greeted with the crisp voice of a gentleman who identified himself as being with the Coast Guard. The message was concise, delivered in an obviously practiced tone of apology and regret.

A chopper, positively identified as TC's, was down somewhere off Pakua Point, but the coast guard couldn't begin a search until after the storm went through. When Higgins inquired about the severity of the crash, he got the same answer; the storm was hindering any rescue attempts the coast guard might be able to launch.

Higgins felt a little shaky, but calmly thanked the man. He had remembered Magnum's earlier call, how Thomas had broken the news that he had broken the Club's yacht, and Higgins had been understandably furious. He had hardly listened to Magnum stutter some groundless excuses and promises of financial reimbursement, and only just barely recalled Magnum saying something about he and Rick riding back with TC. Now, with that in mind, Higgins was much more worried than he was - or had been - angry.

Higgins contemplated his options as he made his way to the study. As he passed the main door, he saw the thrashing palm trees outside. His options, he realized, were slim to none. The storm had already made landfall on this side of the island, and it was such a gigantic mass of clouds that it wouldn't be dissipating anytime soon.

In the study, Higgins cleared his desk and turned on the lamp, fishing out his nautical and topographical maps. If he could determine where exactly the chopper had gone down, then the coast guard could narrow their search area and maybe send in someone before the end of the storm. He hoped precise information would be helpful to the coast guard - he truly wanted to believe it, because he was worried and feeling helpless.

The buzzer went off, breaking Higgin's concentration on the maps. He went to the intercom and hit the button.

"Yes?"

"Hello, Higgins. This is Lt. Tanaka - can I come in?"

Higgins wanted to tell Tanaka to leave because Magnum was not home. But perhaps Tanaka could help, and Higgins was wondering about anything to make Tanaka drive out here during the onset of such a storm. He opened the gate from the panel, and as he was heading to the front door he heard Tanaka exclaim "Thanks!" in his ever-cheerful voice.

Higgins opened the door and let Tanaka in, offering him a drink.

"No thank you, I'm on duty."

"On duty? My God, man - there's a bloody bad storm outside. What could be so important to risk driving in this weather?"

"Well, Higgins, I'll tell you. There's a very important murder case tomorrow morning, and Magnum forgot to give me his statement in writing. Without it, the murderer will probably go free on a technicality or lack of evidence." Tanaka followed Higgins back into the study, where he spotted the maps on the desk.

"What're you working on, Higgins?" It was merely professional curiosity. He was paid to be nosy, and he couldn't help but notice the map folded so that Pakua Point was almost directly centered.

"I was about to get to that. I've just received some disturbing and worrying news from the coast guard - TC's chopper, with Magnum and Rick aboard, went down someplace near Pakua Point. Someone saw the helicopter heading that way, and it looked as though it were having trouble. And now, no one is answering TC's call sign."

"Near Pakua Point!" Tanaka exclaimed. "Boy, Magnum just never catches a break."

"Quite. Why the exclamation? Is something wrong?"

"We got an anonymous tip, two escaped convicts are known to be hiding out on an island near Pakua Point. We're going to go pick them up as soon as the storm dies down - if they live through it." Tanaka looked troubled.

"Please, Lieutenant, this is not a time for games and jokes." Higgins wasn't sure whether Tanaka was pulling his leg or not, but the man seemed serious enough. Another piece of bad news.

"No, sir," Tanaka replied, tugging his Tigers cap tighter onto his head. "If Magnum, Rick, and TC are alright, they'll have more than mosquito bites to worry about."

------- 

"Ouch... Jeez, these mosquitoes are gonna eat us alive!" TC complained, brushing one of the little bloodsuckers off his arm in disgust.

"Relax, TC," Magnum said, slapping and killing a mosquito on his own neck. He turned to Rick, who was asleep, or perhaps unconscious. Blood, seeping through the T-shirt, had obviously attracted them, and Magnum was trying to keep himself from being bitten up and keep them away from Rick at the same time.

TC was up, pacing around, as Magnum tried to rest his leg. "We've got to find some shelter," He said, looking up at the blackish clouds that now blotted much of their view of the pacific blue sky.

A particularly persistent little bugger kept landing on Rick's bad arm, and Magnum swiped it away gently. He continued, "We have to find some kind of shelter. When the storm hits, this place is gonna be hell, and we need a fire. Rick's getting worse."

"Okay, man. Let's move inland and see what we find. I got the radio, can you carry Rick?"

"I have before," Magnum said simply.

TC shouldered the radio, adjusting the strap. He shot Magnum a look, and could tell the thing on his mind was on Magnum's as well. This reminded both of them of 'Nam, crawling through the underbrush, getting shot at, having wounded friends and knowing there was so little they could do for them. It was about doing whatever they had to do to survive.

They had only been hiking a few minutes when TC spotted what looked like a manmade trail through the vegetation. He pointed it out, and Magnum quickly agreed to follow it, but cautiously. His leg was much better already, he had to admit - it was only dragging slightly, a result of the additional body weight of another person.

A little while and several stumbles later, TC stopped and held up a hand, pointing to his front.

"Hey, Thomas, I see something."

"What? Where?" Magnum had Rick balanced over his shoulder, holding him almost as one would a small child.

"Straight ahead, in a sort of clearing. It's like a cabin or something. Follow me."

"Alright," Magnum said, then lowered his voice. "Hang on, Rick," he whispered, as he shifted

Rick's weight on his shoulders.

TC paused again at the edge of the clearing. Magnum stood behind him, and said, "TC, my .45's in my belt. Get it out and..."

"I know."

"Be careful - this place isn't exactly a major population center or tourist destination. Whoever's in there probably wants to be left alone."

TC nodded and made his way quickly over to the door. It was a flimsy piece of wood, no more than a half inch thick, and had large screens above and below the knob. There was no interior door. He was about to kick the door in, when he tried the dingy metal handle. The portal swung open with a lot of creaky moaning noise, squealing on its hinges. TC went in gun barrel first, sweeping the room, but didn't find anyone inside. He stepped back out onto the concrete slab in front of the door and motioned to Magnum, who hurried over with Rick.

Inside, the cabin was fairly sparse, but Magnum and TC had certainly seen worse. There wasn't much furniture, a big heavy table and an ancient, sagging couch, and empty brick fireplace.

TC gave the place the once-over as Magnum laid Rick down gently by the fireplace. "Nobody's been around - in here, at least - for awhile. No indoor plumbing, either. Probably some kind of outhouse in the back."

"Why's it even here?" Magnum wondered, looking at the fireplace. There was some old, dried wood - who knew how long it had been there. Magnum had learned long ago, however, to never look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Who knows? Maybe this was some kind of rich guy's private getaway. The uninhabited islands are full of places like this, secret little places nobody knew about, even after the owner passed away. So they fall into disrepair."


	3. Chapter 3

Magnum worked at building a fire. He wanted something to keep Rick - and he and TC - warm if the storm got really bad. They were sheltered from vertically falling rain, at least, under a roof that didn't look as if it'd be too leaky. Aside from being filthy, however, one of the small windows was broken. 'Probably from the last storm that went through,' Magnum thought.

TC glared out the shattered window, then moved to the larger one in the front of the house.

"Hey, TM, c'mere," He said softly, as if this were some revered place. Magnum had just succeeded in getting a little spark and a fire going. 

He blew on the tiny embers, watching them consume some of the partially rotted wood, and turned to TC. "Yeah, what's up?"

TC frowned. "Look at this, man. Those're major storm clouds, and they're heading out way."

"Well..." Thomas said, as he looked around the cabin, then glanced at Rick, "Let's just pray it turns away from us."

"Uh-huh. And what if it doesn't?" TC asked. He eyed the roof and then the broken window across the room.

Magnum fed the fire some more dried wood, avoiding the question. He knew full well that the chances of the storm suddenly changing course was slim, but that was just one of the many unpleasant things on his mind. He and TC had to figure out how to get off the island, or find food for however long they would be there. Rick groaned as he shifted on the floor, ending in a little gasp. Not to mention staying by his friend's side in the event that he... died. Magnum wasn't ready to consider that possibility yet.

TC curled up on the windowsill, knees almost up to his chest, watching the storm approach. He listened to Magnum move around behind him, and heard him whispering to Rick, and found his mind wandering to his kids, and - from more recent history - his chopper. After daybreak he would be able see exactly how bad the damage was, but with the storm blowing in God only knew what might happen to what was left of the helicopter.

He heard more shifting and movement over by the fire and turned to see Magnum sitting cross-legged -like some loyal sentinel - next to Rick. 

"Hey, Rick, we're in quite a jam here, and all you're doing is laying there."

Rick's eyes fluttered open momentarily, and he saw that TC had found his way over to his left side, and that Magnum was leaning over him from the right. He felt Magnum's hand brush his own, and he took it.

He sighed, then said, "We've been through worse. At least nobody's shooting at us." He smirked. "Don't worry guys, it'll be fine."

Magnum gave Rick's good hand a squeeze. "Yeah, buddy, it will."

TC nodded and looked at Magnum, doubts now partially reassured by their friend's words.  
As if to contradict that positive moment, lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a huge crash of thunder shook the small cabin.

TC got to his feet and hurried to the window. His mouth opened slightly at the awesome sight of broiling clouds closing across the greyish sky. "Uh oh. Thomas, man, it's coming."  
Magnum's look was decidedly unhappy. "How long do you think we have?"

"Um, fifteen minutes, tops."

And after that, it could be hours until the storm blew over.

Magnum looked at the screen door and broken window and felt his stomach churn. It never got particularly cold in Hawaii, but chilly enough to cause discomfort.

"Okay. Here, help me with this..." Magnum said, moving towards the large table.  
TC pried himself away from the window and joined Magnum, and together they shoved and dragged the large table to the door.

Rick, laying on the floor by the fire, winced at the scraping sound of the table legs dragging across the floorboards. "What are you guys doing?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrow. He pushed himself up on his right elbow.

"We're blocking the doorway, in case there's a lot of blowing rain. Will you just lay back down and relax?"

"I'm not helpless. I'm fine, it's just an arm. Can I do anything?"

Magnum couldn't help but bark a laugh as he helped TC flip the table over on its side. He tried to soften his voice. "Look, I know it hurts, because I can see it on your face, and I know that it's still bleeding because I can see it on the T-shirt. Take it easy and let me and TC try to get this place ready for the storm."  
"Thomas, I -"

"There's nothing you can do, we just gotta sit here and wait it out." Magnum's voice was sharp, more so than he had intended. At first, Rick didn't seem to have heard, and then he turned away, stretching out on the floor again.

Magnum and TC finished with the table just as the wind outside picked up dramatically, sending rain pounding against the newly barricaded door and walls of the old cabin. TC shivered at the sound of pounding rain and howling wind, while Magnum thanked his lucky stars that the broken window was on the partially sheltered side of the small room. There was another streak of lightning, which flashed across Rick's face as he lay next to the fire, mixing weirdly with the flickering red glow cast by the flames. Magnum couldn't help but notice how the strange fusing of light sources highlighted the blood that slickened the side of his friend's head.

That reminded him of the gash on his own forehead, and he reached up to feel the scrap of clothing he had pressed to the wound earlier. It had dried in place, the make-shift bandage was cemented with dried blood. He winced and left the bandage alone.

He was just about to feed the fire with more wood when, from behind, there was a smash and the window behind TC exploded inward. Shattered glass sprayed across the room, showering the wooden floor. Magnum leapt up as a figure, quick as a cat, scrambled into the window and stood with a pistol on TC.

"Nobody move," The man ordered, as a second person struggled into the room over the windowsill behind him.

Magnum was speechless for a few seconds, then gave a confused, "Hi, guys..."

"Hands on your heads," barked the man with the gun. He shoved TC over towards Magnum, who put his hands behind his head.

The second man finally had his own gun out, and waved it at Rick on the floor. "Get him up."

Magnum moved to block his friend from the gunmen. "Leave him alone. He's hurt."

Neither man showed any indication that they particularly cared. "Tell him to stand up with his hands on his head, NOW, or you get a slug in the gut," The first man growled, cocking the hammer on his revolver.

Magnum stared into the man's eyes, which burned with unprovoked hate. He heard Rick shift on the floor and groan.

While his accomplice held his weapon on TC, keeping him immobile, the first man shouldered Magnum out of the way and stood over Rick, keeping the barrel of the gun aimed carefully at Magnum's chest. He nudged Rick with his foot, first in the shoulder, then harder, right in the ribs. Magnum's hands dropped and he moved in on the guy, wanting to rip him limb from limb, but stopped when he saw the gun steady in the man's hand and the index finger tighten on the trigger.

"On your feet," The man shouted, grabbing Magnum's shirt and jabbing the gun into the side of his neck. "Or your friend gets it."

Rick looked confused, as if he were far away, or thought this was some kind of dream. His side was burning, and the blood still in his eyes gave everything a reddish hue.

Magnum sucked in his breath sharply, feeling the anger boiling up inside of him. He wanted to lean down and help Rick up, but it was impossible and extremely unwise to try anything with this psychopathic gunman standing right next to him, grinding the barrel of a pistol into his neck. He watched in agonized silence as Rick stumbled to his feet, wincing and gasping at the harsh pain the movement caused his fractured arm.

Rick was half kneeling when the gun-toting guy lost his patience and grabbed his arm, dragging him roughly to his feet. Rick was breathing hard even from the limited exertion, and looked near ready to pass out.

"Everybody against the wall!" was the next order, and soon TC and Magnum were standing against the peeling wallpaper with Rick between them. Rick was leaning on Magnum's shoulder slightly, and much more heavily on the wall, barely able to stand.

The two men went into a huddle on the other side of the room, but both kept their weapons in aggressive poses, deterring any thoughts of an escape attempt.

Rick's mind was fuzzy with pain and loss of blood, but even through his blurred senses he identified one of the gunmen. "What's Leon Alkia doing here?" Rick whispered through clenched teeth. Alkia had been busted on a drug charge, and went down hard on three counts of murder. He was serving three consecutive life sentences - or rather, he was supposed to be.

Magnum turned his head, slightly, to Rick in surprise. "You know that guy?"

"Used to work for IcePick," Rick muttered quietly. "Drug charges, multiple murders."

"Who's the other one?" TC asked, equally quiet.

"Shut up!" Leon snapped at them, as he and his partner in crime dropped their conversation. Alkia approached Rick and ran his eyes over him, scrutinizing him, sizing him up. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Rick didn't reply, but the look in Alkia's eyes confirmed it. "Hey, I remember you - you're one of IcePick's boys, aren't ya?" He was right up in Rick's face now, and Rick could smell his sweat, his breath, and almost feel the hostile vibes the man was giving off.   
Magnum watched the confrontation with a tight expression. He was quite prepared to take this Leon guy down if he got rough with Rick again, even if it meant catching a bullet.

-------

"You really think they're there?" Tanaka asked, twirling his Tigers cap on a finger. Higgins was still pouring over his maps, while Tanaka did his part by listening to the continuous weather report on the radio.

"I know it," Higgins said, his tone one of absolute certainty.

Tanaka didn't see any point in asking just how Higgins knew this, but - he had to admit - it was a safe bet that he was right. If he had been a believer in such things, he'd have sworn that these guys shared a kind of psychic connection.

"As soon as the storm is over, we'll move in and get Magnum and the guys, and our fugitives."  
Higgins had begun to pace, taking a few steps to the bookshelves, then back to the table, back and forth, listening to the recent reports on the storm's path.

"Someone may have been injured in the crash. The radio is undoubtedly damaged, and that island is uninhabited, Lieutenant. They don't have any shelter. They're right in the storm's way, and that islet is going to be exposed to all of the weather's fury. It's no more than ten or twenty feet above sea level at high tide." Higgins pivoted suddenly to stare at Tanaka. "We should take action now, and mount a rescue attempt. After the storm clears... it may be too late."

"I'll give a call to the boys in the Coast Guard," Tanaka offered, "But they're unwilling to risk any of their men on what might amount to nothing. If they don't agree to help us out..." Tanaka gave a small grin. "We're sunk. Pardon the pun."

Higgins waited anxiously while Tanaka put in another call to the Coast Guard, and - when they refused to help - the HPD, to try to requisite one of their police boats.

As Tanaka got off the phone, he sighed deeply, looking at Higgins. "Nobody's willing to help until this blows over. You could say that we're on our own."

Higgins had a thought. "The Club had a yacht at the disposal of it's members, but it seems it fell upon misfortune with Rick and Magnum earlier. Now, the coast guard, on the other hand..."

"No way, man. It's INSANE to go out on the water on a night like this," Tanaka exclaimed. He could see that the little man was thinking up something big.

"I'd be willing to try my hand at piloting a vessel," Higgins said. "I'd need someone aboard who could assist me with navigation. And someone with a badge, with authority, who could use his influence to get me the keys to one of the Coast Guard's craft..."

Tanaka shifted uneasily under Higgins' intense eyes. "I can't let you do it."

"Zeus, Apollo -" Higgins began. The dogs, who had been chomping away at their dinner, scurried over at the sound of Higgins voice and stood at attention, waiting for further orders.

"Higgins...!" 

"Watch him, Lads," Higgins ordered, and headed for the door of the study.  
Tanaka glanced at the on-guard, growling dogs, then at Higgins in the doorway.

Higgins looked back at him, as if to say, 'Last chance.'

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Tanaka gave in. The dogs growled louder at Tanaka's outburst, but Higgins quieted them.

"Zeus, Apollo - patrol," He commanded, half-grinning at Tanaka.  
An unhappy Tanaka followed Higgins to the front door and out to the pickup, which was the only vehicle remotely suited to that kind of weather. Higgins put the petal to the metal, splashing up mud and rainwater as they turned out of the main gate toward the coast guard station.

-------

"What do you want?" Magnum asked, fury making his voice tight.

"For you to shut up!" Leon was fingering the trigger of his revolver, rubbing the small piece of metal, thinking hard. Magnum wished that the man would hold the gun someplace else; towards the floor, or ceiling. It was uncomfortable having a distracted fugitive with their finger on the trigger pointing the barrel right at your midsection.

"Look, man, we'll do whatever you want - just don't do anything drastic," TC exclaimed, eyeing the enraged Magnum.

"Nobody asked you, boy," Leon spat, glaring darkly at TC. He looked towards the windows as a sudden howl of wind made the old wallpanels shiver and groan.

He nervously licked his upper lip and flicked the gun at Magnum, TC, and Rick. He hated small rooms, hated being enclosed, and hated when things didn't go to plan. Prison had been hell enough; he hadn't been in control there. At least now, on this godforsaken island, he was in charge.

The shrieking wind and driving rain was driving him mad. This was no place for someone like him. He'd get out of Hawaii, get out of the US, and go someplace warm and exotic... maybe Morocco.

Leon began to pace, noticing his partner, Bri, doing the same. The traded looks. Leon saw the obvious agitation in Bri's eyes. So far, the two of them had been acting on instinct - but now it was time to come up with a plan.

On that note, Leon made further threats of the consequences of Magnum or TC trying anything funny and went into another think session with Bri, both of them sitting in front of the fireplace, enjoying the minimal comfort provided by the small fire.

Magnum was convinced that there was no justice in the world. They were up against a cold wall, and Rick was shivering. It wasn't the first time their luck had proven noticeably worse than most. When Magnum had quit the Navy, and had joined Rick and TC in Hawaii, he had envisioned a sort of "happily ever after", the most beautiful spot on earth, decent, flexible job, surrounded by friends... but lately, all the native beauty and carefree aspects of existence seemed to have gotten lost in the background.

He was trying to come up with a plan, but their options were in short supply. Even if they could all get out of the shack unscathed - not a likely event, considering the two guns they were facing - where would they go? Rick wasn't in any shape to go anywhere, the island was deserted, and one of the worst storms of the decade was pounding the shack with everything it had. 'Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.'  
Without warning, Rick's knees gave out. TC and Magnum tried to grab him, keep him from falling, but Magnum ended up on the floor next to Rick.

"Rick?" Magnum gasped, leaning over him.

"What the hell is going on over there?" Alkia yelled irritably, pushing himself to his feet and stalking over. Bri gave them a disinterested glance, but Alkia kept coming, moving in on the two men on the floor. TC protectively stepped into Alkia's path.

"He can't stand anymore, just let him rest for awhile," TC said, looking Alkia straight in the eye with nothing but hate and concern.

"Get over here, Bri," Alkia ordered. Bri got up and approached totally cowed by Alkia.  
Magnum propped Rick up a little as he began to cough, looking up at TC and Alkia. If he could knock Alkia out, and then take care of the other one, they'd have a chance.

Alkia, still toe-to-toe with TC, twirled his revolver on his finger and make a sharp jabbing gesture with the muzzle. "Pull him up, NOW."

TC almost shook with rage. "He's not doing any harm whether he's standing or on the ground. Let him be."

"Damnit, get him up or else!"

"No!" Magnum retorted, steeling himself for an onslaught of Alkia's temper. 

"Fine, then I'll do it. Watch them, Bri," Leon said to the slender man at his elbow. Bri gave

Magnum a helpless look as Alkia grabbed Rick roughly by the front of the shirt and yanked him to his feet, shoving him back against the wall. "C'mon, little guy," Alkia taunted, as Rick's head limply rested on his chest. Magnum made as if to get up, but Bri raised his revolver and shrugged as if to say, 'Your funeral.'  
Alkia touched the muzzle of his gun to his chin, Rick's shirt still bunched in his fist. "You know, now that I think about it, I liked it better with you on the floor."

Magnum and TC knew what was about to happen, but were powerless to stop it, and could only watch as Alkia nailed Rick in the head with the butt of his revolver, causing a new gash to erupt on his forehead. Rick's body crumpled to the ground, almost on top of Magnum, who did his best to catch Rick and cushion his fall. Magnum cradled Rick's head in his hands, checking the new injury, hands shaking in fury. He laid his head gently on the floorboards and sprung to his feet, making a grab at Alkia.

Alkia, who was relatively small and fast, ducked out of the way and fired a shot past Magnum's head. Magnum, who was no fool, was halted in his tracks, and stood breathing hard. TC glared first at Alkia, then at Magnum, trying to tell him to get a grip. He knew how angry Magnum was; he felt the same way, but they couldn't do anything as long as Leon and Bri were armed. There was no point in getting killed. If they could just hold out till the storm was through...

"What do you want to do, Leon?" Bri asked suddenly. It was the first time Magnum had heard Bri say more than two words. He was surprised by how intelligent the voice sounded -smooth, with a slight, almost British accent, unlike Leon's, which was rough and that of a man with a limited vocabulary.

"I dunno, Bri, but I do know that we are not gonna need one gimp and two big, strong guys coming with us."

"What do you want to do? Kill them?" Bri was looking down at Rick's pitiful form on the floor, but Magnum didn't see any hint of malice - he looked almost sorry, compassionate.

"Not all three. That one-" He prodded Rick again with his shoe, and shrugged coldly. "Doesn't look like we'll be needing to help the process along any, he's as good as gone anyway. We can just leave him here. And one of these guys'll guarantee our safety." He grinned at Magnum and TC, whose backs were pressed to the wall, hands up at shoulder height in non-aggressive positions.


	4. Final

TC's jaw tightened and he looked at Magnum. Magnum's brow was furrowed, but TC could read determination - that was his buddy TM, never gonna give up.

"Should we do it now?" Bri asked nervously.

Alkia shot him a disgusted look. "We'll wait till the storm's over, blockhead. You watch 'em, I'm gonna rest my eyes for a few by the fire. If one of them moves, kill 'em."

Bri, still a good ten feet from Magnum and TC, sighed quietly, but didn't let Alkia catch his unenthusiasm. Leon moved away, stretching out on the floor right near the fire, staring up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head.

Magnum, keeping his hands up, made eye contact with Bri and slowly slid down to sit beside Rick. Bri just stared at him blankly, which Magnum took neither as a sign of approval or disapproval. He had the instinctive feeling that Bri and Leon were fundamentally different. For sure, Leon was more evil. Bri seemed to be just along for the ride. Magnum made a mental note to play on the distention between the two criminals; if Bri were willing to help them out...

"What're we gonna do, TM?" TC asked. He, too, sank to the floor and put a hand on Rick's shoulder.

"I don't know, TC..." Magnum spoke softly, out of the corner of his mouth. Bri was still facing them, but his eyes were half closed, and he showed no interest in them at all. "Looks like they're getting tired. When one of 'em is asleep, that's the best time - we'd have a chance."

"What about Rick?"

Magnum avoided the question for a moment. "I figure if it all goes right, we'll have those two hostage, or at least incapacitated, until help gets here."

"IF help gets here." TC waved his hand slightly at Magnum's annoyed look. "Sounds good to me, TM. What're we gonna do?"

Magnum outlined his plan to TC. As he did so, he felt Rick's forehead, his palm telling him that

Rick was running a fever. "Damn," Magnum muttered sympathetically.

Rick, feeling Magnum's hand on his forehead, opened his eyes, blinking to clear them.

"Hey, buddy, hang on," Magnum said. Rick swallowed and tried to shift around, but injury and now fever sapped his energy.

Magnum helped Rick sit up a little, propping his friend's shoulders up on his leg. All in all, Magnum guessed that it was a little more comfortable that the hardwood floor. TC examined the arm, gently, and took in his two companions: Magnum and Rick both had cuts on their heads, Magnum's was bandaged, crusty with dried blood, but Rick's was slick and fresh with redness. TC pulled a little part of the bloody shirt to peak underneath. Rick's arm also looked horrible, swollen and a dark bruised color. The bleeding around the compound fracture has slowed, it was now a sluggish trickle, but it was obviously already infected.

Looking grim, TC leaned back against the wall, keeping his hand on Rick's bicep. Magnum didn't want to move too much and attract Leon's attention. Bri looked ready to fall asleep on his feet, which gave Magnum hope. They could move soon, and get the upper hand. Careful was the name of the game right then, however - they already had enough injuries between them to last for a long, long time.

-------

Higgins kept his feet braced far apart on the pitching deck, one both hands on the wheel as he struggled to control the wild boat. This course of action was highly illogical, dangerous and, he had to admit, bloody stupid. It had been a sort of miracle that their plan had worked, and that Tanaka had bullied his way into borrowing a police boat. Also, it was only by a series of minor miracles they hadn't capsized yet, with the waves being what they were. Now that they were finally on the water, Higgins wasn't so gung-ho about the entire plan. It was, he thought again, bloody stupid.

To his left, Tanaka clung to the dashboard, eyes firmly planted out the windshield. It didn't do much good; the rain was driving so hard that all he could see was little craters of water, splashes that formed and washed away in the blink of an eye.

"How far away is this island?" Tanaka shouted over the engines, wind, and rain. "I don't think my stomach can handle much more of this!"

"It should be dead ahead - no more than ten minutes. Though I dare say, my navigation skills in this kind of weather are questionable, at best." Higgins was also yelling loud enough to be heard. "It reminds me of the time I was caught in a flood with some of my fellow officers, all of who seemed to be hydrophobic. It seemed hopeless, until -"

Tanaka ignored him, which was an easy task in these conditions. He put a hand to his drenched Tigers cap to be sure it still rested securely on his head. There was a sudden swell of waves, and Tanaka almost lost his balance with just his one hand on the dashboard.

Higgins, realizing he had no audience, broke off in mid-sentence and glanced at him. "Ten minutes," He repeated.

Sure enough, within ten minutes, Tanaka and Higgins' strained eyes picked out the dark looming shape of Pakua Point, and the small island laying just off the coast. Higgins jerked the wheel around, fighting the storm, trying to steer the craft closer to the islet. The boat was buffeted by the wind and knocked sideways by the waves, making it an almost impossible task. Higgins gunned the engines, bringing the boat as close as he dared to the rocky shore, brow sweating the entire while. They could run aground any second, and then the game would really be over.

Tanaka still had both hands clamped to the dashboard, holding on for dear life, trying not to show how worried he was that the boat would sink, split, or smash.

"I don't think I can get any closer to the island!" Higgins was yelling to be heard, but the worry and frustration was clear.

Tanaka bit his lip. Damn! They'd come so far...!

"If we hit the beach, the hull's good as gone..." Higgins said, more quietly.

There was a brief nod from Tanaka. "The HPD has many boats," Tanaka replied.

Their eyes met.

"Hang on tight, in case we hit sandbars or rocks on the way in," Higgins ordered. He glanced again at the controls in front of him, moving the throttle to full power, simultaneously wrenching the wheel and bow around to face head-on to the beach.

What happened next was very blurry to the two people in the cabin of the police boat - in fact, Tanaka had his eyes closed tight, and Higgins was praying silently.

The grey and blue craft rode the waves, lurching forward as the waves lifted it and carried it toward the sandy beach. The boat would rocket forward on a sudden swell, then fall back as the waves receded, making for an extremely nauseating experience.

With a little coaxing from Higgins, the boat finally ran aground, plowing up into the sand. The propellers churned up bottom muck, whining even louder than the wind, and Higgins quickly shut off the engine. He grabbed Tanaka's arm and hustled him out of the cabin.

The boat, which had been for the most part stable in the water, was leaning hard to the right, slowly toppling over now that it was beached. Higgins and Tanaka got over the railing and dropped to the wet sand, heads bowed against the pelting horizontal rain. They hurried toward the nearby treeline, away from the unprotective openness of the beach, and stood panting under the canopy of thick treetops.

"How do we find them?" Tanaka asked. He was still speaking very loudly, over the sound of wind and thunder in his ears.

Higgins shook his head. "I was hoping they would have left us some sort of clue, some sort of..." He waved a hand, simultaneously pulling his parka tighter. "I don't know how we're going to find them, but let's start inland."

Tanaka followed Higgins through the trees and underbrush.

-------

Bri snapped his head up, blinking his eyes owlishly. He looked at Magnum, who was staring at him.

"What?" He growled. He shook his head to wake himself up; this was the third time he had nearly nodded off. Leon would have his head on a platter if anything went wrong.

"Long day," TC ventured, from his seat on the floor next to Magnum.

Bri nodded earnestly. "You have NO idea," He replied.

"So how'd you get out? Of the prison, I mean," Magnum said, as conversationally as he could. Rick's head was still resting on his leg, burning with fever, and Magnum was doing his best not to disturb him.

"It wasn't very hard." There was a distinct self-importance in the words. "We escaped in the laundry cart. I don't think the guards had been watching enough prison movies."

Magnum and TC raised their eyebrows, and TC chuckled, though it sounded a little forced.

"Brilliant," Magnum agreed, rolling his shoulders. He was getting stiff.

"The laundry's all dumped downstairs," Bri continued. He seemed relieved for the chance to talk to somebody. "And from there, we just snuck upstairs and out, over the fence."

"I thought prisons had electrified fences." TC was looked at Bri skeptically.

"Oh, no, no, not Oahu State Prison. Just a roll of barbed wire." Bri turned his right arm and showed them the blood staining it. "That's how this happened."

Magnum nodded. "Looks bad. Hurt much?"

Bri steeled himself and straightened. "No."

"A cut like that... ouch," Magnum said. "I hope you've had a tetanus booster in the few years."

"Tetanus booster?" Bri repeated.

TC jumped in. "Yeah. I mean, you could get lockjaw - tetanus. I hear that's very, very painful... Not at all pleasant for anyone."

"I think it's okay, it's not too deep." Bri looked suddenly nervous.

"Doesn't matter. Anything deep enough to draw blood is plenty serious."

Bri was wide-eyed. "You guys are kidding, right? The barbed wire, can't be so bad... Right? It's only been up there ten, fifteen years..."

Magnum and TC glanced at each other and shook their heads grimly. Bri was trying not to look panicky, but they could tell they had unnerved him almost completely. He glanced at the gun in his hand, then back to Magnum and TC.

"Tetanus, is it fatal?"

"If not treated immediately," Magnum said, exaggerating only slightly. Time for the big moment. He held out a hand at about waist level, non-threatening, palm up. "Maybe TC can get the radio fixed and we can call for some help for you." Bri's eyes found the radio sitting near the fireplace. He hadn't noticed it before; he had had too much on his mind. Magnum was staring at him. "So, give me the gun, and we'll get out of here."

"What about him?" Bri asked in a low voice, indicating Leon with a flick of his eyes.

"YOU'VE got the gun, remember?" TC said.

"Correction. He has ONE of the guns." Three startled pairs of eyes zeroed in on Leon, who was now sitting up, watching them and listening to every word they had been saying.

Bri scrambled to his feet and turned toward his cohort, hands spread. His gun hung loosely from his right hand, near Magnum. Magnum moved his eyes from the revolver to Bri's face, and saw that Bri kept glancing at him.

"Leon, listen, it's not like it sounded. I wasn't going to -"

Leon stared coldly at Bri, getting to his feet. Bri's hands were shaking in fear as he faced down Leon, and he babbled something apologetically. Leon cocked his head to the side, contemplating. There were a few seconds of frozen, dead silence, and then - as thunder crashed - Leon brought the gun up and fired.

Magnum and TC both instinctively dove to the sides as Bri's body went crashing to the floor, blood foaming and spurting from a chest wound. He landed on the floor near Rick, his arms and legs thrown wide.

While TC scurried over to Bri, Magnum was in action, snapping up Bri's discarded weapon. It took him a split second to find it and draw a bead on Leon, and he squeezed the trigger with all his might.

A single shot rang out, but it didn't come from Magnum's gun. Leon dropped like a sack of wheat, heaped on the floor in a quickly growing pool of blood.

Magnum stared at the revolver in momentary confusion. He hadn't felt any recoil - obviously, he had made the mistake of trusting that a round had been chambered. And yet...

A gust of rainy wind filled the small cabin, and with it, an unmistakable voice: "Magnum!"

Magnum turned to the doorway, where two figures were highlighted by a flash of lightning.

"Higgins?" How the hell...?

Higgins and Tanaka, dressed in matching black rain slickers, entered the room. Tanaka bent and felt Leon's neck, then gave Magnum a grim smile.

"I happened upon the suspect holding a gun on an unarmed civilian," Tanaka said quietly. "He had intent to kill, and I had to put him down."

Magnum dropped the revolver and nodded. Higgins was looking the other way, quite literally, as he knelt next to TC and Bri. TC had a hand clamped over the bullet wound on Bri's chest, applying pressure. It was a sucking chest wound, it had obviously punctured a lung - the chest cavity was filling with air, causing his other lung to collapse. Bri was weezing, coughing and choking on his own blood, which was trickling from the corners of his mouth. Higgins folded his handkerchief and handed it to TC, then did his best to tend to Rick, although there wasn't much he could do for him that Magnum and TC hadn't thought of.

Magnum looked around. "What a mess."

"It could have been a lot worse," Tanaka reminded him softly.

"This is bad enough."

Tanaka didn't disagree with him.

-------

They waited out the storm. It blew over almost as quickly as it had arrived. Usually the passing of a storm leaves the air fresher, somehow more purified, but in the small cabin the smell of blood hung thick in the air.

Tanaka and TC had gone back to the HPD craft on the beach, and TC had crawled inside and put in a call to the coast guard. They and HPD officers were already on the way, proving they really had intended to search the island as soon as the storm let up.

Leon's body had been laid out against a wall of the cabin. Bri's had been stretched out on almost the opposite end of the cabin, in a more respectful way. He hadn't lived for more than ten minutes after receiving Leon's bullet in the chest, but had died in something resembling peace, after Magnum had made it clear that they didn't hold him responsible for Leon's evil deeds.

The whole affair left Magnum with a bittersweet feeling. Rick was going to be fine, surgery and a set of pins for his arm took care of the bad fracture, and Magnum's head wound was nothing serious. It hadn't even required stitches. TC had faired the best, there was hardly a scratch on him. They had come through in one piece, and that was what mattered most.

Magnum was now sitting on the couch in the guesthouse, sipping a beer and watching a baseball game. Things had morphed back into their regular routine - Higgins had even denied that he and Tanaka had rushed to the island to "rescue" Magnum, scoffing at the idea. That was Higgins all over again - Magnum had just smiled nicely at him. Still, Magnum felt that he was missing something. There was certainly no remorse in him for the death of the two criminals, except for a few seconds of guilt he had felt when Bri had died. That had long since passed.

Magnum racked his brains. A promise he hadn't kept, something unresolved...? He tried to recall the last bribe he'd made to TC.

The phone beside Magnum rang loudly, even over the TV. Magnum glanced at it, annoyed at it's intrusion. With a small sigh, he picked it up.

"Thomas Magnum, private investigator."

"TM, it's TC. Boy, you owe me a dinner so big and so expensive that that tab of yours at the club will pale in comparison."

Magnum snapped his fingers. That was it.


End file.
